Jewish Issue Injected into State Gubernatorial Campaign

May 19, 1936

NEW YORK (May. 18)

The Jewish issue was brought into the gubernatorial campaign today when Daniel F. Cohalan, former Supreme Court Justice, made public a letter to Postmaster General Farley asking whether he wanted Governor Lehman to run again “because he is a Jew; and does he undertake to deliver the Jewish vote to Roosevelt in the coming critical crisis?”

Two years ago Mr. Cohalan stated, according to the World-Telegram, that Jews had attained great eminence in American politics while Catholics were contemptuously shoved aside because they failed to present the same united front.

The letter added: “If the President and Mr. Farley desire to select a Jew as the Gubernatorial candidate, could not an outstanding figure be selected from the many men in the forefront of the business and professions in New York City?”